Hungry because he had spent the last five hours or so walking through the fog at Pebble Beach, on his way to an opening-round 66, and had to spend more time answering questions before getting some lunch.
Upset because most of those questions centered around Tiger Woods.
``I'm tired of this, yes,'' Jimenez said today. ``Tiger is the best player in the world. But you'd think there's only one player here. There's 156 of the best players in the world here.''
Finishing the first round of the U.S. Open only a shot behind the leader normally would end with a smiling player entertaining a full room of media on the details.
But the gathering was sparse, and so were the comments of Jimenez.
``It's always nice to be in contention with Tiger,'' Jimenez said to yet another question about Woods. ``But Tiger is only one player.''
If Jimenez wasn't too happy about answering questions about Woods, it could be expected. He had Woods beaten in the World Golf Championship final in his native Spain last November, only to bogey the 18th hole and lose in a playoff.
Jimenez plays from the rough at the 1st during the first round at the 2000 US Open. Allsport
And now he had just come off the course after making seven birdies against two bogeys, and little attention was being paid to his round.
``I don't know what you want me to say,'' Jimenez said.
The 36-year-old who played on the European Ryder Cup team took advantage of accurate drives to get to five under and briefly take the lead on the front nine of his morning round.
Bogeys at Nos. 9 and 15 dropped him off the pace, but he came back with a 20-footer for birdie on the final hole to finish with a 66.
``It was a nice day to play golf,'' Jimenez said. ``I played well and I'm happy about that.''
Jimenez had won six times on the European Tour in a career that began in 1988, but has yet to win on the PGA Tour. He's playing in his third Open, finishing tied for 23rd last year at Pinehurst.
``Miguel is a wonderful driver of the golf ball and he usually putts well,'' Woods said. ``On courses that are tight like in the U.S. Open, that's an advantage.''
Jimenez, who worked as a caddie in Malaga, Spain, before taking up the game at the age of 15, is often overlooked in the Spanish contingent of Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Seve Ballesteros.
That would change, of course, if he were to do something none of his countrymen have ever done -- win a U.S. Open.
``It would be the best thing that ever happened in my life in golf,'' Jimenez said.
Better yet, the questions then might not be about Tiger Woods.
